Saturday, June 6, 2009

Good morning! Today the My Time to Create team offers you a sketch challenge (mytimess33)! I have two projects to share all because I'm indecisive. I started with my latte card but really didn't like where it was going, so I completely switched gears and used the SCS color challenge (CC221) to inspire me in creating my flower card. I kept looking back at the latte card colors and couldn't let them go. So, I changed my thought process and finished up that card as well. I don't know where my energy came from the night I made these, but I was wide awake and even tried making a third card for a completely different challenge. First road bump with that card sent me straight to bed :O)

Okay, so for the latte card, I knew what image I wanted to use, knew my colors, but I didn't have a sentiment that would fit nor did the mug look right just stamped on plain white CS. Soooo, I cut out the mug (I wanted the bottoms of the steam lines showing), pressed the image onto a VersaMark pad, covered with clear embossing powder and heat set it. To me, this gives the mug a lacquered appearance...just like the latte mug I use at home :O) I stamped another mug in plain Sahara Sand on the white CS (to give a faux shadow), and added the base shadow using Sahara Sand (stamped it off on another sheet first to give a lighter shadow).

I recently developed a serious interest in learning to quill paper, which stemmed from CardMaker magazine's May 09 edition. It has some amazing projects with paper quilling! In true, Kristin fashion, new cool craft = I have to learn to do it myself! I don't know why I'm like that, but I am...with everything. I haven't really researched it yet, but I'm dying to know how to do it and how to do it well. I just found this site that I think might be an amazing help to me (not my checkbook...I'm a gadget-girl also...have to own all the gadgets to create all of these things :O) Check out Quilled Creations if you're interested. If you know of another site that deals with paper quilling, please feel free to share! I'm still in research mode so every lead helps!

So, here's is my LAYMAN stab at quilling paper for my steam :O) LOLNow, the sentiment that came with the PTIWarm Happiness set just wouldn't fit this layout, sooo, I had to make my own sentiment that was appropriate. I used the "Thanks a" from a "Thanks a lot" rub on, and pulled out my white rub on letters to create the "latte". Common sentiment, but I didn't have a stamp with it...so, the rub ons worked like a charm for me :O) I adhered using a glue dot and covered it with a dew drop (even though I found that you couldn't see the glue dot through the vellum). If I were to do this over, I would trim the paper to fit the sentiment only and leave out the dew drop.

I added two, dark chocolate buttons (from my PTIVintage Buttons stash). I originally tried adhering chocolate covered espresso beans to my card which matched perfectly! BUT, I didn't want them to melt to the paper, so I tried putting them in a tiny plastic ziplock (the kind you use for jewelry), but it was too tight, so I tried shrink wrapping the beans...which was bulky and ended up melting the beans the more I tried to smooth out the plastic with the heat gun. That was my sign that the espresso beans should NOT go ON the card :O) LOL

Wow...that was a long explanation for my latte card :O) The next one shouldn't be quite as long...I didn't have a lot of trial and error with espresso beans and sentiments on this one!I used the SCS color challenge (CC221) for my color palette. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an "orange" girl by any stretch of the imagination. It is probably my LEAST used color. I don't even know if I've really used it before...other than some rust variations. Anyway, I say this to let you know it was a STRUGGLE to use it on this card. I'm envious of gals like Dawn Easton who use it effortlessly on a regular basis and return beautiful cards!I colored the main image by pressing it to the Kiwi Kiss stamp pad and coloring the flowers with SU! markers. I sponged the white panel with Kiwi Kiss before adhering. I decided to create faux stitching, 1 - because I cannot use a sewing machine to save my life, and 2 - it matched the stitching on my button :O) Plus I wanted to add interest between the DSP and the plain green panel. I pierced the holes using Tim Holtz's Design Ruler, and simply drew white lines with my SU! white gel pen. I added two orange crushed velvet buttons (to get rid of them if nothing else :O) LOL and tied the flowers to the white twill. The sentiment is from PTI Birthday Basics and is stamped in Riding Hood Red. Pretty basic card...and TOTALLY different than my latte card.Check out our Design Team's amazing sneak peeks! You're sure to get inspired by their takes on this sketch!

Stop by their blogs for that added creative fuel to get you inspired to play along!

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comments:

Wow! You sound like me! My cards always come together easily until I have to add the embellishments! I try a million things before I get the look I want! These are both fabulous cards! I use orange a lot on my cards! I love that color...I'm an Earth Elements girl! LOL!

Kristen! Girl, I do not know what kind of coffee you were drinking that night but WOWSERS! What gorgeous cards! THe efforts and trial and error session were totally worth it. I loved your coffee bean story by the way :) I really love both of your cards and they are so very different in color scheme. YOu worked that orange too...I'd say you are an orange girl now ;) The little details (the cup shadows and the faux criss cross stitching) are exceptional. way to go!!

Hi Kristen,I found your blog through Lauren's, and read about your interest in quilling. I have always been like you said you are, I need to try out every new crafting fad I hear about. So when I first found quilling a few years ago in Martha Stewart's LIVING magazine, I searched and discovered Lake City Craft Co. athttp://www.quilling.com/Go check it out. I think you'll find that they are the experts. Good luck and have fun!P.S. I really liked ALL of your cards! :-)

Kristin all I can say it WOWZA - way to go and totally rock us. Love the quilling and all the explanation - super job on the challenge! WOO Hoo.THanks also for prepping the "peek" - I didn't have time to post - out of town this weekend.Hugs girl.

Oh, these are lovely, but I do love orange and that second card is just wonderful! I don't know why I haven't tried to use markers to give multicolored flowers to that silhouette stamp....lazy, I guess! You did an awesome job with all the details!LeAnnePS: Thanks for your nice comments on SCS!

Oooo! I just love your quilled steam and perfect rub on solution for your sentiment on your latte card!! And you definitely do Not need a disclaimer on your flower card as you used orange wonderfully here!! Great cards! :>